How to Find Metal in Backyard

Buy or borrow a metal detector, preferably with a target identification and depth indicator. Read the instruction manual for operating instructions and familiarize yourself with the different signals. Hold your detector over several different metals such as an aluminum can and a nickel to differentiate between the sounds.

Step2

Keep your detector parallel to the ground and sweep it slowly over a small area of your backyard. Overlap each sweep that you make so you don't miss any areas. Avoid the "no dig" areas such as a water feature or planting area to avoid temptation.

Step3

Listen for the detector to indicate a particular type of metal and identify this from the manual. Take your shovel and insert it in the ground roughly to the indicated depth. Make a curved "plug" with your shovel, deep enough to keep any grass roots intact, prize this up from the ground and set aside.

Step4

Investigate the hole you have made by scraping the levels of dirt from the sides, either with your shovel or with gloved hands, until you locate the metal. Use the detector again in the hole if you can't find anything to pinpoint the position. Pick up everything that you dig up and put it in your trash bag to examine later.

Step5

Fill your hole back in with the mound of dirt that you set aside earlier. Use your shovel to level off the surface so that there are no uneven patches for people to trip over or into. If you are detecting in a very dry season, water your yard after you have finished, to settle the dirt back into your holes.

Step6

Search your yard again at the end of winter or after a heavy rain. When the ground thaws the soil will shift position and new areas will become exposed so you may find new things of interest that you couldn't locate the first time.